Santa hitches ride on an F-35

By LAUREN DELGADO / Daily News

Published: Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 05:44 PM.

The F-35 sitting in a corner of the hangar was met with suspicion by the children of Eglin Air Force Base’s F-35 team.

They knew Santa would be arriving soon and weren’t completely sure if he was hiding inside the quiet plane. They squinted at it as they clutched their parent’s hands until they were distracted by the other activities and treats at the team’s annual children’s Christmas party.

They decorated picture frames and Christmas stockings, terrorized each other on the bounce house, munched on pizza and candy and played pin-the-nose on Rudolph, among other games.

A 12-foot-long naughty and nice list was a major source of worry for most of the kids. Parents feverishly searched for their child’s name to reassure them they had made it onto the nice list. All of the children had been good and were eligible for a gift when Santa arrived.

For Jenna Bisson, the event was a chance for her sons, Zander, Talen and Lane, to understand their father, Tech Sgt. Joe Bisson’s job.

“It’s important for them to be a part of where dad works,” Bisson said.

Mary Fontaine and her 7-year-old daughter Chloe had never seen the F-35 up close.

“It’s cool to see the plane he works on,” Mary said with a grin, indicating to her husband Tech Sgt. Russ Fontaine.

When Santa Claus radioed in that he had “landed,” his elves led everyone outside the hangar. A jolly Santa Claus sat in an F-35. As he disembarked and made his way through the crowd, he said hello to everyone.

The F-35 sitting in a corner of the hangar was met with suspicion by the children of Eglin Air Force Base’s F-35 team.

They knew Santa would be arriving soon and weren’t completely sure if he was hiding inside the quiet plane. They squinted at it as they clutched their parent’s hands until they were distracted by the other activities and treats at the team’s annual children’s Christmas party.

They decorated picture frames and Christmas stockings, terrorized each other on the bounce house, munched on pizza and candy and played pin-the-nose on Rudolph, among other games.

A 12-foot-long naughty and nice list was a major source of worry for most of the kids. Parents feverishly searched for their child’s name to reassure them they had made it onto the nice list. All of the children had been good and were eligible for a gift when Santa arrived.

For Jenna Bisson, the event was a chance for her sons, Zander, Talen and Lane, to understand their father, Tech Sgt. Joe Bisson’s job.

“It’s important for them to be a part of where dad works,” Bisson said.

Mary Fontaine and her 7-year-old daughter Chloe had never seen the F-35 up close.

“It’s cool to see the plane he works on,” Mary said with a grin, indicating to her husband Tech Sgt. Russ Fontaine.

When Santa Claus radioed in that he had “landed,” his elves led everyone outside the hangar. A jolly Santa Claus sat in an F-35. As he disembarked and made his way through the crowd, he said hello to everyone.